Combined feed-water purifier and boiler-cleaner



(No Model.)

E. G. T. OOLLES. GOMBINED FEED WATER PURIPIER AND BOILER CLEANER. No.343,435.

N. PETERS. Phnwmhn npher, wmmn lon, Dv C.

specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWARD e. r. coLLEs, or oH oAco, ILLINOIS.

- COMBINED FEED -W'ATER PURlFl ER AND BOILER-CLEANER SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 343,435, dated June a, 1886.Application filed March 2, 188 6 Scrial No. 1 98.711. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, EDWARD G. T. GoLLEs, acitizen of theUnited States, residing-in Chi cago, county of Cook, andState of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improve ments inCombined Feed-Water Purifiers and Boiler-Cleaners, of which thefollowing is a This invention relates to improvements in boiler-cleanersin which the scumland other extraneous matter, which rises to thesurface of the water during ebullition, is removed by being drawn off,together with a small quantity of the surface-water, and passed througha filtering apparatus, from whence the cleansed Water is returned to theboiler; but my invention is designed, in addition to the foregoingoperation, to automatically produce a constant agitation and circulationof the water in the boiler and of the surface-water toward my scum ordrain pan and to act as a feed-water heater and purifier in conjunctiontherewith. Prior to my invention the scum has been collected from thesurfacewater. of the boiler by means of a perforated tube or shallowdishshaped drainer located in the boiler near the surface-line of thewater; but in all of these prior constructions the effectiveness ofthese on the lower heating-plates, whileothers on their passage to thesurface adhere to the boiler-flues with which they come in contact, thelighter and lessimportant substances only reaching the surface andcoming within reach of the sediment-collector.

,I am aware that it is not new to feed into the steam-spacein a boiler,there being various spray-feeders for that purpose, some in which thewater is forced through small holes, others in which a valve is closedwith a spring, and others still in which the water is forced downthrough a pipe and, ascending outside of the same, passes throughopenings and flows over shelves orv ledges in a spray or sheet; but allof these devices become useless after a time, owing to the sedimentseparated by the steam clogging up the openings through which thewateris forced, so that the supply of Water to the boiler graduallydiminishes, thus incurring the'risk of explosion.

In addition to the foregoing obj ect-ions,when water is fedinto thesteam-space of a boiler, it is often necessary to abandon that method offeeding, owing to a loud report like an explosion in the feed-pipe,usually near the boiler, the vibration resulting from the report oftenbeing so great as to loosen the joints and sometimesv to burst thecheck-valve and feed-valve or a portion of the pipe weaker than eitherof them, and it is usually heard with every stroke of the pump, when oneis used, which is due to the air in the feed-water coming in contactwith the steam from the boiler. V

The prime object of this invention is to utilize the inflow of thefeed-water to the boiler for creating a circulation of the surfacewatertoward the draining-pan, and by the same means'create a constantcirculation of all the water contained in the boiler, whereby thescale-forming foreign and extraneous matters contained therein will riseto thesurface thereof. 4

Another object is to combine with a boilercleaner a feed-water heaterand purifier for raising the temperature of and purifying the said waterprior to its delivery to, for use in, the boiler, by subjecting thewater to the steam in the boiler, whereby the impurities will beprecipitated into a suitable receptacle prior to the delivery of saidwater to the boiler, to effectually cleanse and purify the same.

A further object is to combine with a feedwater heater a purifier andprecipitating-- chamber, through which the feed-water shall pass priorto its delivery for use in the boiler, g

water heater an air or expansion chamber 011 the feed-pipelocatedbetween the water-supply and the boiler, whereby explosions in the saidpipe, in consequence of the contact of the steam with theair in saidwater, may be effectually avoided and the feed-water per-' mitted torise in said expansion-chamber, to prevent straining of the joints orvalves of said feed-water pipe.

Fnrther objects are to utilize the steam con tained in the boiler forheating and purifying the feed-water during its passage through theboiler, but prior to its delivery thereto for use in the boiler, wherebya separate feedwater heater may be dispensed with; to provide means forsubmitting this feed-water to the action of the steam during its passagethrough the boiler in a form that will best promote the heating andpurifying of said water; to combine with a boiler-cleaner aprecipitating or filtering apparatus so constructed as to have themaximum cleansing and purifying effect upon the water. passedtherethrough, and to provide certain details of construction hereinafterdescribed.

I attain these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the rearend of a boiler with my improvements applied thereto, with parts shownbroken away for U the purposes of illustration; Fig. 2, a side elevationof the same, showing the preferred manner in which my feed-water supplyand circulating-pipe is connected with the boiler; Fig. 3, a detailedsectional elevation showing the construction, location, and arrangementof my feed-water purifier and drain-pan or feed-water receiver; and Fig.4, a detail section through a portion of the feed-water pipe, showingthe check and feed valves and the air or expansion chambers.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates theboiler, and B the setting thereof, which may be of any desired orwell-known form of construction, and connected with this boiler at thetop side, and preferably near the rear end thereof, with a feed-waterpipe, 0, which may be connected at its opposite end with a feed-waterheater for raising the temperature of the water prior to its delivery tothe boiler or with any suitable reservoir for containing the same, inwhich case the water may be delivered to the boiler in either a cold orheated state. The end of this feed-water pipe projects a short distanceinto the boiler, to the end of which is secured by screwing, as shown,or any other well-known and convenient manner, a suitable frame, D, tothe ends of the depending arms a a of which is in turn secured acone-shaped spreader or deflector, E, the apex of which projectsslightly into the opening in the discharge end of the pipe 0, but notsufficiently to interfere with the flow of the water therefrom; but theexact relative positions of this deflector and the discharge end of thepipe is not essential so long as the apex of the said cone-shapeddeflector is in a vertical line with the center of said pipe, so thatthe water,wl1en discharged onto the said deflector, will be evenlyspread or distributed in the form of a thin sheet over the entiresurface of the deflector. The said deflector may also be supa ta nsported by means of a suitable flange secured to the inside of the boileror suspended inside the boiler, without being actually connected withthe feed-pipe in any manner, so long as it is located directly beneaththe discharge end of the feed-pipe. This deflector may be formed hollowand of sheetor cast metal, if desired, of one or more sections orpieces, and the surface thereof may be fluted, as shown; or it maybeplain,-corrugated, or of any other form or configuration which will bestsubserve the purposes for which it is intended.

Located within the boiler, just below the deflector, is a dish -shapedreceiver-pan or scum-gatherer, F, of a diameter somewhat greater thanthat of the cone-shaped deflector, which pan is preferably supported onthe end of a pipe, G, to which it is united at the bottom and center orside thereof, and which pipe passes out through the head, side, or topof the boiler and connects with an upright cylinder, H, or any othersuitable receptacle, in which is contained a precipitating-chamber andtil tering apparatus, or without the latter, as may be desired.

The upper edge of the pan, scum-gatherer, or feed-water receiver G, overwhich the said scum flows, is designed to be located at about the normalwaterline of the boiler, so that the scum and other extraneous mattersfloating on the surface of the water will flow over the edge of the saidpan, together with a small quantity of surface-water, and be conductedthrough the pipe G, carrying with it that portion of the feed-water notalready evaporated, for the purpose hereinafter described. To facilitatethe outflow of these impurities, and thereby promote a more rapid andeffective circulation of the surface-water toward this receiver pan orscum-gatherer, I design to utilize the inpour of the feedwater into andthrough the boiler, for it will be understood that a portion of thefeed-water, when admitted through the pipe 0, will be evaporated onentering the steam in the boiler, and that the portion not evaporatedwill flow down over the deflector, and from thence fall, in theform of acircular sheet or spray, into the said scum-gatherer, and in its passagebe heated to about thetemperature of the steam through which it passes,which liberates the scale-forming substances, and, by reason of thegreater diameter of the said gatherer, this fresh water will be caughtand conducted by the gatherer and pipe G out of the boiler to thefilterer without materially mingling with the water contained in theboiler, except so much thereof as immediately covers and surrounds thescum gatherer and receiver. This constant passage of the stream offeed-water through the boiler, carrying with it all of thesurface-water, and consequently the scale-forming and other impuresubstances therein contained, produces a circulation of all thesurface-water in the boiler toward the scum-gatherer to supply the placeof that drained off, and this circulation is materially aided by thereadmission of the surhigh even to entirely cover the receiver-pan,

still the action of the suction of said pan will be sufficient to drawoft that portion of the feed- Water not already evaporated by the heatof the steam in the boiler discharged over it first, and thus preventthe intermingliug of said water to v a serious extent with the watercontained in the boiler; and should the water-line in the boiler bebelow the level of the receiver-pan, then the feed-water would falldirectly into said pan and be conducted off through the pipe G to thefilterer.

The receiver-pan or scum-gatherer is further employed as a primaryprecipitating receptacle, into which the scale-forming and otherimpurities separated from the feed-water in its passage through thesteam in the boiler are precipitated,and conducted from thence alongwith the surface-water and scum to the precipitatingchamber proper,located in the cylinder H; for when the feed-water is introduced intothe boiler and passes through the live steam contained in said boiler inthe form of a thin sheet, (as a result of its fiow over the defiector,)the action of the said live steam is not only to raise the temperatureof the said water to nearly that of the steam, but

.also to separate and precipitate all of the scale-forming scumand otherextraneous matter contained in said water.

The drain-pipeG passes, preferably,through the cap or covering of thecylinder orlreceptacle H, and connects with the upper end of a verticalpipe, I, though it may instead =enter the side of the cylinder, orbottom of same,

extending part way up, thus doing away withpipe I, and substituting aplain perforated plateinstead of the flaring end of pipe I. The saidpipe'I is located insaid chamber, and has the form of an invertedfunnel, and extends downwardly part of the length of the receptacle H,where its discharge end flares sufficiently to come in contact allaround with the walls of the said receptacle. By reason of suchconstruction the said receptacle is divided into two compartments orchambers,

' the upper one, J, of which constituting a filtering-chamber, and thelower one a precipitating-chamber, from which latter access orcommunication is obtained with the former by means of a suitable numberof perforations in the lower flaring end of the pipe I. i

The feed-water, scum, surface-water, and all the impurities containedtherein are conducted from the boiler through the pipes G and I anddischarged into the chamber K, wherein all the sediment will separateand be precipitated from the water to the bottom of said chamber K, fromwhence the water will rise through the perforations in the pipe I to thefiltering-chamber to befurther purified and cleansed, and the remainingimpurities removed therefrom by filtration prior to its delivery to theboiler for use in generating steam.

Just below the cap or covering of the receptacle H, and within the saidreceptacle, is located a perforated diaphragm, L, between which and theflaring mouth of the pipe I is confined the material employed forfiltering, which. may consist of charcoal or any other suitablematerial. This perforated diaph ragm prevents the escape of thefiltering material into the pipe M, which connects with the chamberformed in the top part of the receptacle H, between the cap and the saiddiaphragm, and conducts the water from said chamber to the boiler, whichit enters preferably at or near the bottom or mud-drum thereof after orwithout being subjected for a suitable portion of its length to the heatof the fire. It also is designed to form a spray of water when forcedwith boiler-pressure back from the boiler to wash out the filteringmaterial and settling-chamber K, when the blowoff N is opened. It willbe no departure, however, from the spirit of my invention to dispensewith the filtering-chamber altogether and supply the water to the boilerdirect from the precipitating-chamber, for in some cases where thepurifying of the feed-water is previously in a great measure effectedthe remaining impurities may be readily separated therefrom anddeposited in the precipitating-cham- -ber without the necessity ofemploying the filtering-chamber.

It willbe understood that the cylinder or receptacle H and a pipeleading therefrom to the boiler are located on the outside of theboiler-setting, except so much of the said pipe as passes through thefire-box for the purpose of raising the temperature of the water to theboiling-point before it enters the boiler, and I have found it of greatpractical utility to have the pipe just before its connection with theboiler pass out of the fire-box, and outside of the boiler-setting,before connecting therewith, for should it happen that the section ofpipe in the fire-box (owing to its being defective or other cause)becomes so burned and worn as to suffer fracture or explosion, withoutsome means for shutting off the flow of water from the boiler, seriousdamage might result; and this means is easily provided for by placing asuitable stopcock in the exposed section of the pipe between thefire-box and the boiler. I do not confine myself, however, to connectingthis feed-water pipe for supplying water to the boiler in the mannerherein shown and described, for, if desired, it might be connected atany point between the ends of the boiler, through the rear end thereof,or it may be connected with the mud-drum; but I have illustrated theconnection preferred, for the reason set forth.

It is well known that the circulation of the water in that portion ofthe boiler not subjected to extreme and constant heat is sluggish andvariable, and this is more particularly the case regarding that portionjust forward of the rear end thereof, where the water is sometimesalmost at a standstill, while in other parts of the boiler the water isin a constant state of ebnllition and consequently circulation. Such acondition of affairs is necessarily injurious to the boiler, and to someextent dangerous, but may be in part overcome by introducing thefeed-water into the boiler near the rear end thereof after it leaves theprecipitating receptacle; still the circulation in the boiler willalways be more sluggish near the rear end thereof, or where subjected toless heat than at any other point, and it is there that I design toplace my draining-pan, feed-water receiver, and scum-gatherer, for, inaddition to the means previously described for producing a circulationin the boiler, the constant ebullition of the water will materially aidin effecting this result.

To prevent the explosions which take place in the feed-pipe when thewater is fed directly into the steam-space, and usually near the boiler,the vibration resulting from which often being so great as to loosenthejoints and sometimes to burst the check and feed valves, or a portionof the pipe weaker than either of them, and which explosion is due tothe airin the feed-water coming in contact with the steam from theboiler in a vacuum, I provide an air or expansion chamber, A,conneetedwith the feed-water pipe ata point between the feed-water supply andentrance of the pipe to the boiler, and preferably at the highest pointand just back of the feed-valvc, which chamber is hollow and designed todraw oil from the feed-water during its passage thereby, in addition tothe air already contained therein, whatever air may be contained in thefeed-water, which air will serve as a cushion for the feed-water when itbacks up into the said chamber when the explosion takes place. Thisair-chamber may be a piece of ordinary piping connected by a T-jointwith the feed-pipe and having the upper end thereof closed and providedwith a suitable air-cock, so that the air may be allowed to escapetherefrom from time to time, as desired.

The explosions or reports in the feed-water pipe take place atintervals, and always during the back-stroke of the piston when the water is pumped therein, and if a single-acting pump be used a vacuum willbe created just back of the check-valve at each reverse stroke thereof,and this vacuum is at times so powerful that, in conjunction with thepressure of the steam in the boiler, the check-valve is broken ordisabled and the steam allowed to pass in varyi ng quantities and in asuperheated condition into the vacuum; and when the forward stroke ofthe pump-piston takes place the forcible and sudden contact of thissuperheated steam in the vacuum, with the feed-water and the aircontained therein, produces these explosions, and at very best, with themost improved check-valves, it is next to impossible to prevent suchexplosions occurring. Therefore, to avoid the resultant strain of thejoints and bursting of the valves and pipes, I have provided theair-chamber A, into which the feed-water may back when the explosiontakes place, the air contained in said chamber serving as a cushion toinstantly expel the feedwater therefrom when the reverberation from theexplosion has subsided. This air or ex pansion chamber I consider animportant element in my invention, for without it feedwater heatersdesigned to feed directly into the steam-space are rendered practicallyuseless.

In devices wherein the water is fed into the steam-space in the form ofa spray it mingles with and saturates the steam-supply to the engine,carrying therewith the scale-forming and other impurities, injuriousalike to the boiler and steam-cylinder; but in my device, though thewater is passed through the steam it is not mingled with it to anyappreciable extent, and consequently does not interfere 1 with the drysteam being supplied to the engine, nor permit the escape therewith ofany of the scale-forming or other extraneous matters.

Although I have shown and described the deflector in the boiler asconical in shape and the drain-pan or feed-water receiver as circular, Ido not desire to limit myself to such construction, for the deflectormay be made quadrangular, triangular, or prism-shaped to extend entirelyacross the boiler, the inflowpipe elongated and extending in the samemanner to correspond, and the receiver-pan formed rectangular in shapeand in the same proportion to the deflector as herein shown anddescribed; or an inverted funnel having the lower end thereof closed, orelse a V- shaped trough extending the entire length of the boiler may besubstituted, having the upper edge sthereof serrated, toothed, ornotched, so as to distribute the water along each side as it falls intothe live steam, which funnel or trough may or may not have a covering ortop therefor, and in either case, as before stated, the feed-waterreceiver would have a shape corresponding substantially to that of thefun: nel or trough; hence it is obvious that numerous minor changes inthe general construction of these and other parts of my device may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The construction of the receptacle H, and particularly of the pipe Icontained therein, is incorporated and combined with other elements, andall described and claimed in an application for Letters Patent, Serial N0. 193,712, filed March 2, 1836; hence I do not deem it necessary tomore particularly describe or illustrate the said device in this application.

I am aware that prior to my invention an air-chamber has been providedin the feedwater pipe; but this chamber has been located forward of thecheck or feed valve in the said pipe, and therefore obviously could notoperate to permit a recoil or backing of the water in the feed-pipe,which takes place behind the check or feed valve, as in my device, toprevent the explosions or reports which occur at that point in the saidpipe, while in myinvention this air-chamber is located to the rear ofthe check or feed valve,-between saidvalve and the supply-reservoir, andis especially designed to perform a function not possible in the priorconstruction,namely, that of an aircushion, against which the water mayrise to prevent the racking explosion, which takes place in thefeed-water pipe just behind the check-valve, due to the condensation oflive steam, producing a vacuum in the pipe into which the feed-water isdrawn faster than the stroke of the pump forces it and faster than itcan pass through the check-valve, thereby producing aback-pressure orrecoil of the water close to the valve, which, when met by the forwardforce of the remaining water in the pipe, if notpermitted to expand andspend its force, would produce the loud reports or explosions, seriouslyracking and detrimental to the valves and connections of the feed-waterpipe.

In conclusion I may add that suitable cocks or valves may be provided atdesired points in all of the pipeconnections herein shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. In a combined feed-water purifier and boiler-cleaner, the boiler, adeflector located therein, and a feed-water-supply pipe connected withthe boiler above said deflector, in combination with areceiver pan orscumgatherer located in said boiler beneath said deflector,substantially as described.

2. In a combined feed-water purifier and boiler-cleaner, the boiler, adeflector suspended therein above the water-line, and thefeedwater-supply pipe connected with said boiler over said deflector, incombination with a receiver-pan or scum-gatherer located in said boilerabout the water-line therein, a filtering apparatus outside of saidboiler, and a pipeconnection between the said filter and scumgatherer,substantially as described.

3. In a combined feed-water purifier and boiler-cleaner, thecombination, with the receiver-pan or scum-gatherer and a pipeconnecting with the boiler, of a filtering and purifying receptacleintermediate and connecting said pan and pipe, the precipitating-chamberin said receptacle, a pipe-connection between said pan and chamberhaving a flaring and or scum-gatherer located in the boiler, incombination with a filtering apparatus, a pipe-connection between saidapparatus and the draining-pipe, and a pipe-connection between the saidfilter and the boiler, substantially as described.

5. In a combined feed-water purifier and boiler-cleaner, the boiler, adeflector located therein, a feed-water pipe connecting with the boilerover said deflector, and a receiver'- pan or scum-gatherer located inthe boiler, in combination with a filtering apparatus, the precipitating-'chamber in said apparatus, a pipe-connection between said pan andchamber having a flaring and perforated mouth opening into said chamber,a pipe-connection between said apparatus and the boiler, and afiltering-chamber between said pipe-connection and theprecipitating-chamber, substantially as described.

6. In a feed-water heater and purifier, the supply-pipe, the check andfeed valves located therein, in combination with an air or expansionchamber connected with said pipe intermediate the supply-reservoir andthe said valves, substantially as described.

7. The herein-described method of heating and purifying the feed-watersupplied to a boiler, the same consisting in first passing the waterthrough the steam-space of the boiler in the form of a thin sheet orspray, then catching the water in a suitable dish or pan and conductingit through suitable pipes to a precipitating chamber, then drawing itoff from said chamber and conducting it to the boiler through suitablepipes, whereby the water will first be heated and the impuritiesseparated therefrom, thence conducted, to gether with the impurities, toa chamber,where the latter are precipitated, and the water then passedthrough suitable pipes to any portion of the boiler lower than thewater-line, substantially as described.

8. The herein-described method of maintaining a circulation of the waterin the boiler, the same consisting in drawing off the surface waterthrough areceiverpan or scum-gatherer into which falls the feed-water,thereby creating a suction toward said pan, then conducting the water toa filtering apparatus, where the scum, scale-forming, and otherimpurities of the feed-water are precipitated and the water filtered,cleansed, and purified, and then conducted from the said apparatus tothe boiler after being subjected to the heat of the furnace by bringinga portion of the conducting-pipe in contact with the fire, whereby arapid circulation of the water in the boiler is maintained, thefeed-water heated and purified, and the boiler cleansed, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

\ EDWARD G.

Witnesses:

W. W. ELLIorr, WILL R. OMOHUNDRO.

T. COLLES.

